The band comments: “The album results from long-term development. Each track brings a different feel to the album, with a soundscape and overall delivery in vocals and instrumentals that differ from modern metal, as we’ve avoided gimmicks and shortcuts. The dynamism is present throughout, especially in the vocals, which drive the mood and connection. It is an aggressive album that does not hold back any emotions. ”
Track list:
Bring Down The Light
Internal Defeat
Passenger
Abuse
Necessary Evil
Shoot & Forget
Ruoja
Reclaim Chaos
Album cover by Sakari Vinko
INDEMON is a four-piece metal band formed in 2020 in Kerava, Finland. Drawing influences from various subgenres of metal, they blend them uniquely to create a powerful and atmospheric sound. INDEMON’s debut EP Fear of Living was released in 2022, showcasing the band’s ability to create intense and multifaceted metal. The band’s lyrical themes explore fear, self-doubt, and inner struggles, immersing the listener into the music’s emotional world. INDEMON is known for their energetic live performances and distinctive music.
The veteran musician and song writer for more than 30 years, Keith Roth has recorded on over 50 records as well as producing, performing, touring and writing with many music icons. Since 2003, Keith Roth is currently the host of Ozzy’s Boneyard Ch 38, Hair Nation Ch 39 and has produced David Johansen’s Mansion of Fun for over 20 years. If that was not enough, he is the current lead singer and guitarist with The Dictators and Frankenstein 3000.
Roth released his first ever solo album The Law Of Diminished Returns on March 21st through Deko Entertainment and it immediately caught the attention of rock fans and critics alike. Now he is releasing “I’ll Get By” which was originally only available as a CD bonus track. The new video hosts cameos from 70’s rock legends Angel, former Blue Oyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard, Mark “The Animal” Mendoza (Twisted Sister), famed rock photographer Mark Weiss and others. As Roth explains, “I had been looking for a reason to record this song for years. At the end of the laws sessions right before we tore down and packed up, I said wait, I’m not ready to go home, I have an idea, it was the perfect time with the perfect people”.
From the funky bop of “Superfly” to the irresistible pull of “She Says Good Morning,” every track equals grimy perfection. Replace your morning caffeine with this one.”
Music Connection
The Law Of Diminished Returns contains 11 songs and features guest appearances by former Blue Oyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard, Monster Magnet drummer Bob Pantella, Angel guitarist Punky Meadows, and Dictators/Manowar guitarist Ross the Boss. It is available on CD w/Bonus Track and Limited-Edition Blue Vinyl.
I Don’t Feel Like Thinking Today! Pain She Says Good Morning Cosmic Scene Superfly What It Means Moonglade Go Away Down In The Room (Outta Time) Children Of Men Strawman I Get By (CD Only)
CALIFORNIA IRISH, featuring Cormac Neeson, release their wonderful new single ‘Julie Ann’, out now, the new album ‘The Mountains Are My Friends’ release date moves to 18th July on 7hz Productions.
Album release date moved due to manufacturing issues.
Cormac states: “Release news!! Some not so good news and then some good news: we’ve had to put the release date of the record back by three weeks due to damaged stock. Sorry folks. Rest assured there’s no one more looking forward to having this album out in the world than us. So on 18th July “The Mountains Are My Friends” will come out in digital and CD form. The Vinyl is going to take a few weeks longer than that because it’s vinyls, so apologies for the further delay on that but we of course want your record to be in impeccable condition so you can kick back and enjoy the full California Irish Experience. Now! on to the good news…we have a new single coming out this Friday called Julie Ann featuring lush harmonies, 12 strings guitars and a psychedelic cow bell. You’re gonna love it and will hopefully scratch that Laurel Canyon itch until the full album can be listened to on 18th July. Thank you all for your patience and love. Peace agus love. California Irish.”
Watch ‘Julie Anne‘ here:
CALIFORNIA IRISH is the new band featuring The Answer’s Cormac Neeson. The band tips its hat to the wonderfully melodic and free-spirited sound from 60s America, a sound that reaches back into a gentler, more empathetic time, and now releases its fourth single, the fabulous ‘Julie Ann’, out now.
Cormac comments: “We wanted ‘Julie Ann’ to sound like The Byrds hence the jangly 12 string guitar and the thick four-part harmonies. Listen out for the psychedelic cow bell solo in middle, and if you’ve been looking for your new soundtrack of the summer then congratulations to you! Peace agus love x”
Summoning the beguiling spirit of Laurel Canyon, employing analogue recording techniques, and recording songs in one or two takes to achieve something with a real human touch, California Irish are a new seven piece group hailing from Belfast that working their own niche within the world of folk and Americana, and everything in between.
This new group showcase a unique sound formed from a combination of players that initially came together briefly to perform a Neil Young-inspired theatre show production called “Re-Harvest”, in which the musicians who now make up California Irish very successfully performed the classic albums ‘Harvest Moon’ and ‘Harvest’ back to back.
The brainchild of the group is lead singer and chief songwriter Cormac Neeson. The band were hand-picked by Neeson based on long standing friendships, as well as experiences with numerous musical projects within the thriving Belfast music scene.
Cormac states his reason for starting the band, and wanting to harness this fabulous sound: “This album is the opposite of boring AI generated no soul perfection. We recorded this album in a room together over four days allowing the music to breathe when it needed to, looking at each other for our cues and feeding off each other’s energy. It felt like a dream…but it’s the most real thing I’ve ever done in music. That Laurel Canyon sound of the late 60s, epitomised by the early Crosby Stills Nash and Young stuff, and the first few Joni Mitchell records, has always felt otherworldly and magical. On our album we’ve tried to access some of that beauty and create our own magic by combining brand new music with an old school recording process.”
The Laurel Canyon influence also extends to the band’s recording technique, adhering rigidly to the analogue 16 track recording method circa 1969; namely recording live straight to tape at the world famous Middle Farm Studios under the watchful eyes and ears of producer Pete Miles. The resulting sound of California Irish flies in the face of modern techniques that often lose the warmth of the original compositions. Instead, the group opted for a one off and unique shared human experience with musicians who feed off each other’s energy, and create compelling four-part vocal blends around one single microphone in a warm alt-folk celebration. The creative process in turn led to an album’s worth of songs titled ‘The Mountains Are My Friends’.
Introducing the band: Cormac Neeson (vocals, acoustic guitar, psychedelic cowbell) Susy Coyle (vocals and percussion) Donal Scullion (acoustic, electric guitar, vocals) Chris Kelly (lap steel, mandolin, acoustic, electric guitar, vocals) James Doone (bass) Simon Templeton (piano, hammond, Wurlitzer) Conor McCauley (drums)
Canada’s The Metal Voice recently interviewed Helloween singer Andi Deris. In the chat Deris talks about the bands upcoming studio album ‘Giants & Monsters which will be released August 29, 2025 (Reigning Phoenix Music).
They also spoke about on how he joined the band and the bands musical evolution.
Excerpt from the interview When asked about the Helloween’s Chameleon album prior to joining the band “Guitarist Michael Weikath gave me the (Helloween) Chameleon album to listen to. I went back to South Germany and listened to it and a day later he gave me a call and asked so what do you think ? Do you like it? I said look, I think it’s fantastic for Bonjovi and then he hung up and didn’t call for a week, (laughs). Hey I’m fan of Bon Jovi .I love a lot of Bon Jovi songs. I didn’t even mean it as a negative thing. The music is great. I like Chameleon but it’s not Halloween. I told everybody If Bon Jovi would have actually recorded this album it would have been a number one album. But fans who waited for a Halloween album I think they were shocked there was like nothing to do with Halloween anymore. Even Pink Bubbles has Halloweenish stuff on it but on the Chameleon it was eradicated. If not for the great voice of Michael (Kiske) you would have would have never realized or recognized that it’s Halloween, that’s my humble opinion.”
“Giants & Monsters” track listing:
Giants On The Run
Savior Of The World
A Little Is A Little Too Much
We Can Be Gods
Into The Sun
This Is Tokyo
Universe (Gravity For Hearts)
Hand Of God
Under The Moonlight
Majestic
HELLOWEEN is: Michael Kiske – vocals Andi Deris – vocals Kai Hansen – guitars, vocals Michael Weikath – guitars Sascha Gerstner – guitars Markus Grosskopf – bass Daniel Löble – drums
Solo black metal project BLACKBRAID is now launching pre-sales for ‘Blackbraid III,’ will be released on August 8, 2025 independently! Vinyl and cassette formats, as well as new merch designs, can now be pre-ordered via Blackbraid.US & Blackbraid.EU!
ICYMI: Blackbraid’s new single “Wardrums at Dawn on the Day of my Death” is now streaming along with a music video at Black Metal Promotions! The video was created by Moshmallows and captures the haunting and primal nature of Blackbraid’s live shows. Watch the clip at THIS LOCATION.
BLACKBRAID will also be embarking on a North American headliner later this year with support from Lamp of Murmuur and Dödsrit, with Gudsforladt replacing LoM as support for two Canadian dates. The trek will kick off on September 19 in San Diego, CA and will make its way around the U.S. + Canada until the final stop on October 11 in Los Angeles, CA. The full itinerary can be found below while tickets are available HERE.
In addition, BLACKBRAID has partnered with Fire in the Mountains Festival to curate a special pre-release event where festival attendees will get to hear ‘Blackbraid III’ ahead of its August 8 release date! During the event, there will also be a special live Q&A that will take place during the listening session with Metal Injection’s Frank Godla.
Fire in the Mountains will take place in Montana from July 25-27, 2025 at the Red Eagle Campground on the Blackfeet Nation Reserve. BLACKBRAID joins an esteemed lineup of artists including Wardruna, Old Man’s Child, Chelsea Wolfe, Converge, Blood Incantation, and more! Tickets are available HERE while the full lineup and all pertinent festival information can be found HERE.
Blackbraidis a solo indigenous black metal project from from the depths of the Adirondack wilderness creating music as raw and powerful as the mountains from whence it came…
The captivating album artwork for ‘Blackbraid III,’ was created in collaboration with Adam Burke, who handled the painting, and mainstay Blackbraid album artist Adrian Baxter, who did the illustration.
Like Wind Through The Reeds Making Waves Like Water
And He Became the Burning Stars…
Fleshbound (Lord Belial cover)
BLACKBRAID North American Tour w/ Lamp of Murmuur + Dödsrit,:
09/18: San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick 09/19: Phoenix, AZ @ Last Exit Live 09/20: Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad 09/22: Dallas, TX @ Trees 09/24: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Purgatory) 09/25: Greensboro, NC @ Hangar 1819 09/26: Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery 09/27: Brooklyn, NY @ The Meadows 09/28: Albany, NY @ Empire Live 09/30: Boston, MA @ Middle East (Downstairs) 10/01: Montreal, QC @ Café Campus * 10/02: Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground * 10/03: Lakewood, OH @ Mercury Music Lounge 10/04: Chicago, IL @ Reggies 10/05: St. Paul, MN @ The Turf Club 10/07: Denver, CO @ HQ 10/08: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge 10/10: Oakland, CA @ Thee Stork Club 10/11: Los Angeles, CA @ 1720 *w/ Gudsforladt, no LoM
BLACKBRAID Upcoming Festivals:
07/27: Red Eagle Campground, MT @ Fire in the Mountains Fest 08/23: Eisfeld (DE) @ Wolfszeit Festival 12/19: Leipzig (DE) @ Black Hole Fest Germania III – Frost Edition 04/05/26: Munich (DE) @ Dark Easter Metal Meeting
Creator of Blackbraid: Sgah’gahsowáh
‘Blackbraid III’ Album Credits: Composed & performed by Sgah’gahsowáh Drums, recording, mixing & mastering by Neil Schneider Guitar solo in “God of Black Blood” performed by Randy Moore “Fleshbound” originally composed by Lord Belial Painting by Adam Burke Illustration by Adrian Baxter Visual development & graphic design by Wolf Mountain Productions
Maltese death metallers BEHEADED take a dark turn on “Għadam” – new single, foreshadowing the group’s seventh album under the same title, due out July 25th on Agonia. The song received a music video that reflects the record’s sombre inspirations embedded in Malta’s folklore, bigotry and horror stories.
Directed by Maurizio Del Piccolo, the video can be found here:
“Għadam” is an album that marks a significant evolution in the band’s journey making it the first death metal album ever written in Maltese, tying Maltese horror, literature and death metal into a cohesive concept. The album incorporates musical influences rooted in the island’s heritage, blending the band’s signature ferocity with elements of traditional religious and folklore music, creating a unique fusion that pays homage to the band’s cultural origins. With “Għadam,“BEHEADED not only pushes the boundaries of their sound but also cements their legacy as pioneers of Maltese death metal.
“Għadam” is based and inspired by the books of Maltese horror author Anton Grasso including the title itself. The work comprises nine songs that all use the title of a book by the author, which are then interpreted in a story, theme or subject different from what one finds in the book. It is also worth mentioning that on “Għadam,” one finds passages, phrases, subjects from classic works of local poetry, as well as excerpts taken from prayers and religious references.
The idea behind the choice for “Għadam” to be a work written entirely in Maltese is that it pays homage and explores the local cultural heritage in the context of everything related to horror, fear, superstitions, the occult, the macabre, folklore and how these exist hand in hand with faith and devotion.
BEHEADED comments: “Għadam, the band’s seventh album, is a dark narrative unfolding across the nocturne-esque Maltese landscape. It delves into the island’s folklore, where superstition and fervent religious devotion create a chilling atmosphere. This journey into the abyss is led by the authoritative voice of Anton Grasso’s works, the infamous Maltese horror writer, whose stories serve as a guiding light through the gloom. While retaining the essence of their signature sound, Beheaded infuses Għadam with the haunting sonorities of traditional religious harmonies and funeral marches, creating a sonic tapestry that is both brutal and profoundly unsettling.”
The album was recorded and mixed at MK2 Recording Studios (Italy) by Davide Billia (Antropofagus, Coffin Birth) with analog synth engineering done by Nicolò Brambilla at Echoes Studio (Italy) The song “Irmied” was recorded at Railway Studios (Malta) by Peter Borg and performed by Simone Brigo on a traditional hand made harp guitar courtesy of Josef Camilleri (Cross Guitar Work). “Għadam” was mastered by Wojtek Wiesławski at Hertz Studio (Poland). A photo shot by Raffaele Montepaone graces the cover artwork.
Tracklisting: 1. Għadam 2. Xtrajt l-infern 3. B’niket inħabbru l-mewt 4. Iħirsa 5. Il-Kittieb 6. Ix-xjaten ta’ moħħi 7. Iljieli bla qamar 8. Jidħaq il-lejl 9. Irmied
Upcoming shows: 29th August – Gothoom Festival – Slovakia 16th October – USA TBA 17th October – USA TBA 18th October – Mutilated Fest – NYC Brooklyn – USA
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 